Mugison makes music that ranges from gentle laptop pop to heavy, flamboyant rock. He started recording songs on his laptop in 2001 and in 2003 released the experimental glitch-pop album "Lonely Mountain", which was released on Matthew Herbert's Accidental label.

That same year Mugison and his father (Papamugs) founded the Aldrei fór ég suður (AFS) festival, and Mugison recorded the soundtrack to Friðrik Þór Friðriksson's 2004 film ”Niceland” in a church in his hometown, Ísafjörður.In 2005 he released "Mugimama, Is This Monkey Music?", which won five Icelandic Music Awards that year (including Album of the Year and Song of the Year for "Murr Murr"). For his next album, "Mugiboogie", Mugison traded the whimsical electronics for more bandmembers and a bluesy rock & roll sound.As the 7th installment of AFS looms on the horizon, we catch up with the Mugi Master to talk about the festival, self-made instruments and a new solo album…

Interview with Mugison by Iceland Music Export (IMX):Where are you right now and what did you do today?I just arrived in Toronto today, and I’m doing this event to promote Icelandic culture and food with a company called Iceland Nature. I’m having a lot of fun with the chef, Þór. We’ve done two shows at the Drake Hotel here.What have you been doing since the release of Mugiboogie?Well I’ve done a lot of shows. 2008 was pretty much packed. 2009 was about spending time with the family, doing a few gigs and working on a new album. Oh, and I made a new instrument too.Did all the touring with Mugiboogie take your career to new levels in some ways?In some places of the world it got me further. For example Germany was a territory where not much had been going on before, but it is a bit now. On the other hand places like France don’t really like the rock & roll, I used to be relatively popular there, then started fading out. Recently I’ve been doing some one man shows and again it’s easier! It’s all ups and downs.What were the highlights and lowlights of your time on tour in 2009?The highlight for 2009 was playing Five Burroughs in one day in New York. That was in August and I felt more like an athlete than a musician, but it was great fun and I met a lot of really nice people. I was very proud of that. The lowlights – I probably played a few shows a bit too drunk maybe, but I can’t specifically remember which ones…Were the Stateside dates good times in general?I like playing the States. It’s a territory I haven’t concentrated on so much as it’s huge and you need a lot of money, but myself andDavíð Þór and my producer Biggi drove through America a bit and we loved it. It was such an experience to do a gig a day like that, sometimes driving 20 hours to play in front of only 20-30 people…it’s a lot of work but an amazing thing. It was probably one of my favourite trips ever, being with the boys and having fun. But really it needs more work and money if its gonna happen properly. You need PR people and planes. People need to know you have a show there, and that just costs money.You've just released a live album - what can you tell us about that?At the beginning of last year I realized that the band I was playing with, which was five of us, was coming to an end. We were done playing the Mugiboogie shows and I wanted to capture our thing before we went out own ways. So we went into the studio, had some good food and a few beers and jammed for a bit. I’m really happy we captured it, it’s good to have it as a document. That combination of loudness, sweat and eye contact can be a great thing.You've also been busy with other musical projects in the last few months – what’s up the Mugi sleeve!?There are a few things. I’ve made this instrument with a friend of mine, a great artist and a sound maniac. It took a long time but it’s ready and we’re going to make an album with it. I’ve also been doing this side project making some Icelandic songs for an Icelandic album. And myself and Davíð Þór are also working on an album, a soundtrack to no particular movie. The idea is to have an album’s worth of music that indie filmmakers with no budget can use without having to clear the rights and pay lots of money. There’s more but it’s probably not wise to say too much now, as some things take time.Is the line up fixed for Aldrei? Any anecdotes about this year's preparations?I’ve been touring since November, including Iceland and Europe last December and February 2010, and also the States this month (March). So I’ve only sent in my request list and it’s really in the hands of other, good folks like Kristján Feyr from Reykjavik!, my dad and the Rock & Roll Chief who’s kind of in charge. The list I saw recently had lots of good, popular bands and some very interesting newcomers. We’re really excited.Have any Icelandic artists made a big impression on you in the last few months?I like some of the tracks on a compilation called Weirdcore. I also like this band Foreign Monkeys, their album is good.How do you describe the event to folk who have never been to Iceland or heard of the festival before?It’s an interesting festival in one of the most remote parts of Iceland. Very few tourists bother going, so it’s only a special type of person that takes the time to check it out. Usually people are amazed. The festival is over Easter too, which makes it even harder to get there, because of weather and stuff. If you can make it, it’s special. We have a few funny rules, like everyone plays for 20 minutes and now more; there are no sound checks; it’s free admission; no one gets paid; and everyone is welcome. The crowd is really from 7 to 700 years old. It’s a great little secret we've got up there.What do you personally love most about AFS?I love it when it all clicks, when the music and people all work…there’s a togetherness about it I can’t describe. A lot of hard work is put into it and there’s this joy…we don’t have the concept of money there, and when you take money out of any equation you get fun.What other plans are there for 2010?I want to spend time with my kids back home, finish the new album. If I finish it mid or late 2010, then maybe I’ll do some touring.What’s your biggest wish for 2010 in general?I want people to have opportunities and to be safe in Iceland. The crisis has been scary here. The majority are safe and some are happy but it seems like our politicians are blocked and I’m scared that the health and education systems will be harmed. I hope our politicians will grow up, take some responsibility and kick some ass - show what they’re made of and at least take a step towards the future. Half of me is a hippy so I also want peace and happiness for everyone in general.

mánudagur, mars 22, 2010

Stafrænn Hákon's "Sanitas" Album to be released on Icelandic Kimi RecordsLabel in April 2010Stafrænn Hákon's new album contains 12 new songs by Ólafur Josephsson & bandThe Album will be released in the USA on Darla Records & in Asia on Happy Prince Label.Ólafur Josephsson had been living in Denmark for 1 years, but he has settled again in Iceland. Stafrænn Hákon plays @ next Duplex Concert on 31. March downtown 101.

156. Song of the Week is "The Ugly Truth" of Sindri Eldon Þórsson, the son of Björk &guitarist/poet Thor (Þór) Eldon. He was born on 8. June 1986, also the date that Smekkleysa saw the daylight.Sindri is recording some solo stuff, but he's also a member of the band Dynamo Fog. Previous he played in the bands Desidia & Dáðadrengir (rap/rock band who won the Músíktilraunir competition in 2003).

Eberg"Inside Your Head", a song of the Album "Voff Voff" This Alternative Video was made by Erica Cruz from the Philippines & was a winner & the 1st Machinima Film Festival in the Philippines in 2009. www.youtube.com/v/RJonoxmNEl0&hl&fmt=18

laugardagur, mars 20, 2010

The first performance on TV(Kastljós/Spotlight) for Cosmic Call, a band from Akranes.They played a song of their first EP, which was recorded by Sigurður I. Þorvaldsson & mastered by grammy award winning engineer Richard Dodd (Kings of Leon, Greenday, Red Hot Chilli Peppers). The album was released on 24. July 2009. A limited hand sewed edition of 1000 copies made by the band members, their friends & family."Lightbulbs"www.youtube.com/v/P9tkYp8s3mE&hl&fmt=18

Logi Höskuldssonaka Loji is the guitarist/vocalist of the band Sudden Weather Change. The band got the brightest hope award/“Bjartasta vonin” @ latest Icelandic Music Awards.Six years ago he participated with the band We Painted The Walls in the Músíktilraunir (Battle of the Bands/Musical Experiments) Competition."Skyndiskyssur" is Loji’s debut album contains sketches which he has recorded @ home over the years. Some of the material found a place in songs of Sudden Weather Change. Skyndiskyssur is a soft and warm lo-fi record released on Brak Records.Brak Records

Tomorrow Sunday 21. March 2010 there is a free concert of Icelandic musician Egill Ólafsson together with the Caput Ensemble @ the Gerðuberg Arts/Culture Center, Gerðuberg 3-5, 111 Reykjavík @ 14:00-15:00. They are going to play a composition based on A Giant Love Story by Gudrún Helgadóttir: "Love Story from the Mountains" (Ástarsögu úr fjöllunum).The concert is part of the GerðubergTóney concert series.Egill Ólafsson

miðvikudagur, mars 17, 2010

An article by Ben H. Murray about the band Apparat Organ Quartet, published in the 2009 winter issue of Iceland Review – IR 47.04. A part is now published on the website of Iceland Review.Working on a second album, but no release to be expected soon.

þriðjudagur, mars 16, 2010

Björk & Gondry will be working together again on a music projectMichel Gondry described the video endeavor as "a very ambitious project, a sort of scientific musical... maybe more for museums. Like a 40-minute IMAX project in 3D".Source: Hitfix"Declare Independence"www.youtube.com/v/igOWR_-BXJU&hl&fmt=18

Today Guardian published an article about the blog collective Music Alliance Pact (MAP). This month Israel joined, so 36 blogs from around the world.I'm collaborating since the beginning back in October 2008:Guardian

It's time for the 18th I loveIcelandic music contribution to an international initiative, the Music Alliance Pact, aka MAP. I take part in this Blog Alliance since the start 1 year ago in October 2008. On a monthly basis music bloggers from around the globe select a track from their country which is then posted collectively and simultaneously on those blogs - giving each nation's track international exposure.
A trip around the world in 36 songs, with a take off in Iceland:
This month I contributed "Heart of Spades", a song of the debut album "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" of Sometime for Iceland.
Sometime, a band formed by Icelandic music veterans, puts catchy dance infused songs on the menu. Ingredients are the strong voice of frontwoman Diva De La Rosa plus the inventive drums of TheDanni, flavoured by turntable whizzkid DJ Moonshineand manipulated by Oculus. You can taste it while listening to the single Heart of spades of the album Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Official Video
www.youtube.com/v/iRoVUT5-Nas&hl&fmt=18

Sometime @ MySpaceARGENTINA: ZonaindieModular - Femme FataleListening to Modular's music is like a journey back to a time when lounge and space-age pop were present on almost every soundtrack and TV show. This track is their own rendition of the great song Femme Fatale by The Velvet Underground, taken from a recent free EP called Yoga Para Extraterrestres (which you can download from here). Don't miss Requiem Para Robert Moog, another great track from this EP.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?Otouto - AstronautsExciting new trio Otouto from Melbourne have released a new single called Astronauts on their own artist collective label Two Bright Lakes. You may recognise singer Hazel Brown's voice from Whitley's song Killer. So catchy.

BRAZIL: Meio DesligadoEddie - Gafieira No AvenidaOne of the founders of the mangue beat movement in northeast Brazil in the 90s, Eddie play a mixture of frevo (a kind of folk music usually related to carnival), rock and jazz. Gafieira No Avenida is taken from the band's latest album, Carnaval No Inferno ("Carnival In Hell") and highlights some of Eddie's influences, such as Fela Kuti and Lee Perry.

CANADA: I(Heart)MusicYukon Blonde - Rather Be With YouThere are all kinds of great power-pop bands from decades past that could be referenced when talking about Yukon Blonde. But you know what? As songs like Rather Be With You show, Yukon Blonde are a lot more than their influences, and it's not hard to imagine that it won't be long before future bands are referencing them as an influence.

CHILE: Super 45Inverness - NubesInverness has its heart divided between Santiago and England. The band flirts a lot with shoegaze revivalism but succeeds in avoiding a lame emulation of the sound, instead delivering a rich, lyrical world full of dreamy scenes. Their second album Illuminaciones was inspired by the far-away landscapes of southern Chile and received massive critical acceptance last year. The band faces the challenge of doing it again for the release of their next album this year.

CHINA: WooozyPB33 - Dance With MeFormed in 2005, PB33 independently released their first album Disco Boys & Girls Night Out. It's about youth, happiness, love, life, friendship and party. They are a band with a punk attitude. Are you ready for them?

COLOMBIA: Colombia UrbanaChocQuibTown - En Circulo (Sa Rissa)ChocQuibTown is the most successful urban fusion group in Colombia with two Latin Grammy nominations. The band try to mix hip hop music with native sounds of the Pacific coast. Their new album Oro has just been released.

DENMARK: All ScandinavianThe Bronson Brothers - Ancient LandPop, decadence, France and the 1960s are keywords when it comes to Clyde and Ted Bronson's musical universe. The excellent Ancient Land is taken from the duo's freshly-released debut album The Melody Bronson, the title a nod to the 1971 concept album Histoire De Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg, who is also found among The Bronson Brothers' influences.

ENGLAND: The Daily GrowlStairs To Korea - All Of Your FriendsThe awesome one-man band and king of the offbeat tweets, Stairs To Korea is a battery of lo-fi electronic effects, good tunes, wry lyrics and ace guitar solos. And behind his bushy beard there's a reluctant rock god edging his way out. His new single All Of Your Friends, on the excellent Brainlove Records, is another in the gradual drip-feed of fine releases which should eventually see him with one of the best singles compilations of 2012.

ESTONIA: PopopHoney Power - Get CountryThis light, fresh and melodic indie tune from four-piece Honey Power carries a real country vibe and, as an early taste of the Tartu-based band's long-anticipated second album, demonstrates good taste and an impeccable arrangement.

FINLAND: GlueFlannelmouth - Sharp PaperSharp Paper gently opens Flannelmouth's second album and leads the Helsinki indie band into a collection of intense and diverse pop songs, with intelligent arrangements and a good sense of melody, underlined by the dominant voice of vocalist Tuomo Kuusi. Rather than limiting themselves to the classic four or five-piece band template, Flannelmouth draw their songs with a diverse palette including subtle sounds of ukulele, pedal steel and a variety of other instruments to build an addictive romanticism.

FRANCE: ZikNationSaycet - EasySaycet is a French electronic artist made famous by his album One Day At Home in 2006. Pierre Lefeuvre, the man behind Saycet, is a daydream music specialist. His songs carry the listener away in a cocoon universe where nothing can hurt you and every little noise is a delight.

GERMANY: BlogparteiKissogram - Rubber And MeatThe death of German indie labels continues. This month Berlin-based Louisville closed its doors, leaving a bunch of the most influential and significant German bands on their own. One of these is Kissogram, whose last album Rubber And Meat got a lot of positive reviews. To bid a fond farewell to Louisville, we are able to present its title track exclusively. Thanks for all the music!

GREECE: MouxlalouloudaElectric Litany - FebruaryPreferring patience and restraint over explosive blasts of atmospheric wailing, Electric Litany slowly build up tunes that glimmer with hauntingly melodic ideas and climax with rhythms that capture the traditional musical heritage of Eastern European countries. Their debut album, How To Be A Child & Win The War, offers a sonically cinematic experience that will leave you feeling both elated and emotionally drained. Gorgeous sounds are pulled from within the deepest recesses of the human soul, while vocals full of intuitive swells and fades rise over piano, synths and tremolo guitars. A work of mesmerising beauty, like a tender touch on a sad day.

ICELAND: I Love Icelandic MusicSometime - Heart Of SpadesSometime, a band formed by Icelandic music veterans, puts catchy dance-infused songs on the menu. Ingredients are the strong voice of frontwoman Diva De La Rosa plus the inventive drums of TheDanni, flavoured by turntable whizzkid DJ Moonshine and manipulated by Oculus. You can taste it while listening to the single Heart Of Spades from the album Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

INDIA: IndiecisionThe Circus - FOPSThe Circus are an alternative rock act from New Delhi. The band's music is Incubus-inspired, effects-driven fuzz that makes no bones about what it is and where it finds its roots. FOPS (an abbreviation of Full On Party Scene) comes from soon-to-be-released debut album From Space. It's wholesome, angular alternative music executed without much fuss. Turn it up, get your party started.

INDONESIA: DeathrockstarSajama Cut - Paintings/PantingsSajama Cut are praised for their lyrics and unusual songs arrangements, with influences ranging from Echo & The Bunnymen, The Beach Boys, Guided By Voices, R.E.M. and tons of obscure singer-songwriters. Paintings/Pantings comes from their new album Manimals, a record which has a varied approach in songwriting, with most of the lyrics taken from Marcel Thee's journal.

IRELAND: Nialler9The Cast Of Cheers - DerpThe Cast Of Cheers came from nowhere last month and quickly became Nialler9's favourite new band. Their downloadable album (get it for free here) is a fully-formed 33-minute blast of post-punk, looping post-rock, tightly-wound songs with echoes of Battles, Foals and Death From Above 1979.

ISRAEL: Metal IsraelOrphaned Land - SapariOrphaned Land's latest album The Never Ending Way Of ORWarriOR is a sonic tapestry that flies a completely different path than the usual Western metal fare of Europe and the States, though there are common threads. The influence of acts such as Paradise Lost, Iron Maiden and The Beatles are evident, but Orphaned Land weave elements together that run the gamut from blacker-than-black demonic intensity to let-the-sunshine-in hippie flamboyance. The band categorizes itself as Middle Eastern progressive metal with dreams of instilling peace through their music.

ITALY: PolaroidHeike Has The Giggles - RobotBefore you ask, the name comes from a character in an English grammar book the band used to read at high school. Heike Has The Giggles are three young kids who play sharp and dry rock 'n' roll in the vein of PJ Harvey and early Gossip. They just released Sh!, their forceful debut album, and you can't listen to it without starting to dance and play air guitar.

JAPAN: JPOP LoverOmodaka - Kyoteizinc (Video Mix)Known as an electro/techno artist, Soichi Terada teamed up with a few visual directors and has started the collaborative music project Omodaka. Omodaka's sound is characterized by the seamless mixture of Japanese traditional Geisha songs and electro music. Omodaka will appear live at the Japan Nite showcase at this month's SXSW and will also go on tour the US with Red Bacteria Vacuum and Okamoto's.

MEXICO: Red Bull PanameriKaLos Macuanos - Pueblo Muerto (feat. Scout Klas)Is there such a thing as ethno-dubstep? London's urban soundscape has been well charted by dubstep - how about Tijuana's? Los Macuanos are a duo formed by Moises "Moih" Horta and Moises Lopez, and this is their nu-electronic post-nortec mix of blurry Mexican folkloric crumbs with cyclic dubstep. Pueblo Muerto was recorded by Moih and gloomy artist Scout Klas (from Sweden via Vietnam) in his recent visit to the Red Bull Music Academy in London. The song portraits the hypnotic fumes spreading from ghost town Tijuana to the whole stratosphere.

NETHERLANDS: Amsterdam Event GuideThe Stutters - Starlight LoveTop musicians as well as first-class artists, this three-piece group have it all going for them in 2010: new songs, more gigs, screaming fans and some very fancy dancing. After the critically-acclaimed first EP back in 2008, their 2010 release Viva La Stutters has got a lot of people excited. First listens see the trio go for a slightly heavier feel than their previous singles but they still stay true to their indie-rock sensibilities, keeping it very rock 'n' roll and danceable. Make sure you catch them on their European tour scheduled for early June - we'll be at the front!

NEW ZEALAND: Counting The BeatAn Emerald City - SeizuretronAn Emerald City's first album Circa Scaria is the stuff of legend, being recorded in a cave on a storm-swept coast. Even without that back story their music is memorable for combining a traditional rock line-up with lute, violin, tablas, violin and sitar. Their songs start off quiet then build in scale and grandeur to create huge Eastern-influenced instrumental soundscapes. Surprisingly, Circa Scaria reached the New Zealand top 40. After a few months in Berlin, An Emerald City have released Seizuretron as a taster for their forthcoming second album.

NORWAY: EardrumsSolvor Vermeer - Final HourThree years ago, I stumbled upon Solvor Vermeer's music. I was amazed by the delicate and fragile beauty she managed to create with only her voice and the piano as her tools. Since then, Vermeer has developed her sound. She has a rare gift for composing and can make something really complex become catchy and accessible. On her upcoming four-track debut EP, her sound is richer and more orchestrated, with her musician friends having added strings, horns, layered vocals, glockenspiel, etc. The EP will be released this spring on her own Bloksberg Music label in partnership with UK-based Lazy Acre Records.

PERU: SoTBPipe Villaran - SinnermanWhen members of the band Los Fuckin Sombreros went their separate ways, Pipe Villaran began to compose new songs, preparing for what would be his new project, called Long Player. His style is still rock 'n' roll, to which he has devoted his whole life, influenced by classic rock and some blues touches. Sinnerman is a preview of the direction his new band will take when their debut record is launched in May.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?Peltzer - A Story To Tell MePeltzer used to be Rui Gaio's one-man band. Today, there are more members but they continue with their electronic sound and cite the new wave movement, Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips as their influences. They have released tracks digitally and on three Portuguese compilations. A Story To Tell Me, from their new Outdated EP, is an exclusive MAP download.

ROMANIA: Babylon NoiseHot Casandra - ChromaHot Casandra is a new project behind which we can find Paul Ballo (the drummer of last month's featured band, Kumm). It's a personal playground, where no compromises will be made and everything will sound as wanted. The first song, Chroma, is a dark electro track with beautiful, haunting vocals.

SCOTLAND: The Pop CopAdmiral Fallow - Squealing PigsIt's hard to say what Admiral Fallow's greatest strength is. It could be the luscious melodies which burst out of their songs, or the thick Scottish brogue that defines Louis Abbott's strikingly unhurried delivery, or perhaps it's the fact they have the sort of craft and invention their peers could only dream of. MAP exclusive download Squealing Pigs whisks through the speakers with a bundle of verve and is taken from the band's forthcoming debut album Boots Met My Face, which at times sounds a lot like Elbow.

SINGAPORE: I'm Waking Up To...Sidd & His Self-Esteem - OccupationI've been informed that the frontman of Sidd & His Self-Esteem is a nervous individual, so much so that it inspired the naming of the band. Well, if Sidd finds his solace in the sheer gregariousness of his other band members, then this must surely be a case of strength in numbers. All inhibitions seemingly fall away as they deliver brilliantly on this stellar Led Zeppelin-esque track, with confidence swelling in each instrument and the vocals deliberate and full of conviction. Occupation pays homage to lo-fi garage rock, with the mix perfectly balanced for your ears to take in everything.

SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!Will Mono - Seks Vir PlesierWhat Will Mono does when making music is slightly different to most - he collaborates with other artists by adding their vocals to his music. In this case Will Mono worked with Jan Joknie and Seks Vir Plesier was born. It is Afrikaans electro-pop at its best. Draw conclusions where you will with regards to the content but as for the song as a whole, it's catchy electro genius.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK3rd Line Butterfly - Nine Days3rd Line Butterfly has been one of the most loved Korean indie-rock bands since 2002, when their music became known through drama series Ruler Of Your Own World. Following the release of their third album in 2004, the band went on a long hiatus, returning only late last year. Earlier this month, their out-of-print albums were re-released in remastered versions, but Nine Days is a beautiful, melancholic Americana-style folk track from new EP Nine Days Or A Million.

SPAIN: Oscuro MagazineThe Closers - Come DownThe Closers are an industrial rock band from Zaragoza similar to Nine Inch Nails or Filter. Their first work was called The End and is a preview of four songs from their forthcoming debut album. It is a very catchy and addictive work that could make a real impact beyond our borders. Come Down has touches of Primal Scream, but the powerful guitars and killer choruses are more like the best works of Trent Reznor.

SWEDEN: SwedespleaseHoly Family - Whatever There's To KnowHoly Family is an electronica trio from Goteborg. The fuzzy beats and glowering vocals on their song Meathooks remind me of some of the heavy industrial music from the late 80s and early 90s, while the lighter, more accessible sounds on Whatever There's To Know hint at a band that could expand their sound and possibly cross over.

UNITED STATES: I Guess I'm FloatingJavelin - VibrationzJavelin are an eclectic duo currently residing in Brooklyn by way of Providence, Rhode Island. Their electronic jams have been turning heads for quite some time, yet their upcoming LP, No Mas, and tour dates with Yeasayer will catapult this funky duo to the forefront of independent acclaim.

VENEZUELA: BarquisimentoLos Paranoias - No Sueltes Al MurcielagoLos Paranoias have a sound that resembles the 80s post-punk and 60s Britpop scenes. No Sueltes Al Murcielago is the second single from their album Aqui Fue, which was inspired by the troubled times our country is going through. The song is a happy rock 'n' roll tune with a contagious rhythm - a symbol of Venezuelan optimism.